Ethiopia vacation, tailormade

Our most popular Ethiopia tour is fully organised by our expert partner who lives in the country and knows it intimately. His tailor made itineraries combine natural and man-made wonders, enriched by the insider knowledge of the local guides.
Addis Ababa Bahir Dar Blue Nile Falls Gondar Lalibela Rock hewn churches Aksum 2,000-year-old stelae Dorze villages Netch Sar National Park Laka Abaya Jinka Omo Valley markets Mursi and Hamer tribes Yabelo Wildlife Sanctuary Lake Langano Wondo Genet Rift Valley lakes
Price
£3354 excluding flights
Duration
17 Days
Type
Tailor made
Reviews
Make enquiry

Description of Ethiopia vacation, tailormade

Price information

£3354 excluding flights
Make enquiry

Departure information

This trip can be tailor made at a time to suit you and can be adapted to suit your interests, budget and requirements as necessary. Minimum 2 people

Travel guides

History
History vacations suffer from an image problem. They conjure up a picture of a sedate older crowd crammed into coaches, ticking off a list of antiquity...
Ethiopia
Many destinations are described as being "a step back in time" for travelers – but in Ethiopia you can take this literally. The Ethiopian calendar is...

Vacation information

Our top tip:
Travel with an open mind. Ethiopia is wonderfully different - but this often means having to leave Western expectations behind!
Trip type:
Tailor made. Min. 2 people, min. age 5.
Activity level:
Leisurely-moderate.
Accomm:
Locally owned where possible. Tailored to your preferences and budget.
Included:
Accomm., private transport and transfers, tour leader throughout, local guides for specific activities, driver, listed activities. Meals not included.
Dietary Requirements:
A wide array of vegan options are available in Ethiopia. If you are a vegan or vegetarian, this trip is for you. Based on your meal requirements, veg/vegan dishes will be provided on both breakfast and dinner times.

Reviews

27 Reviews of Ethiopia vacation, tailormade

4.5 out of 5 stars
SHOW
15
12
0
0
0

Reviewed on 28 Feb 2023 by

The overall cost of the tour was very competitive, everything ran really smoothly, the drivers and guides were very good. The accommodation was varied and often in stunning locations. In short go! Read full review

Reviewed on 10 Nov 2022 by

Excellent! Read full review

Reviewed on 11 Mar 2020 by

Brilliant. We have travelled a lot and using an in country, local agent to organise the trip within this fascinating country was perfect. Read full review

Reviewed on 27 Feb 2020 by

This was one of the most amazing vacations we have ever had. Every day held something exciting and new. Read full review

Reviewed on 28 Oct 2019 by

Our trip was FULL of memorable and exciting moments. A few that spring to mind include hiking the trails high in the mountains above Lalibela and our first coffee ceremony Read full review

Reviewed on 15 Oct 2019 by

The most memorable part of the vacation was seeing the Meskel festival in Gondar Read full review

Reviewed on 02 Mar 2019 by

What was best - all of it!! It is difficult to pick out just one memorable or exciting part as our various experiences in Ethiopia were all very special in their own way. We did see a procession for the Feast of St Michael in a small town and that remains a very special memory too. Read full review

Reviewed on 07 Dec 2017 by

Visiting the rock churches in AETHIOPIA and coming across a group of local pilgrims was my highlight. Read full review

Reviewed on 09 Nov 2017 by

The entire trip was very memorable. The churches were beautiful, the historical sites were interesting, the people were warm and friendly. I loved being in the midst of the gelada baboons. Read full review

Reviewed on 26 Feb 2017 by

The most exciting was seeing the Wallia Ibex and the open heart monkeys. The most memorable is the image of the people on the move, herding their cattle and livestock, walking on the roadside, carrying heavy loads, everything from water containers, sacks of grain, wood, hay and even stones. Read full review

Reviewed on 26 Feb 2017 by

My most memorable experience was the opportunity to sit alone in Bet Giyorgis in Lalibela soaking up the atmosphere whilst listening to a local musician and singer serenading a couple celebrating their wedding outside - so moving. Read full review

Reviewed on 21 Mar 2016 by

Great trip! We loved the country and everything it has to offer! We couldn't recommend it more! Eskinder organised the tour perfectly and it all ran very smoothly. Read full review

Reviewed on 21 Feb 2016 by

It was a splendid vacation very well organised by the operator. The company is run by Eskinder Hailu Senebata who is a delightful man, who answered all our questions most professionally and on meeting turned out to be a most interesting man. Read full review

Reviewed on 15 Feb 2016 by

Experiencing the people and culture was the most memorable part of my trip. Read full review

Reviewed on 09 Dec 2015 by

We had a wonderful time. Our guide was brilliant and gave us so much of his time. Fantastic guide and driver for 7 days in the south. We loved the contrast of the north and the south. Such a beautiful country. An excellent trip, fascinating and well organised which I would recommend to anyone wanting to see Ethiopia. And we felt perfectly safe! Read full review

Reviewed on 07 Dec 2015 by

Absolutely brilliant. Every day over the 3 weeks something very special or exciting happened. Read full review

Reviewed on 23 Mar 2015 by

Beat all our expectations! We cannot thank you enough for making our time in Ethiopia so memorable, you have certainly gone the extra mile to ensure that our whole trip ran smoothly. All the guides and drivers are so proud of their country and their heritage. They all have a fantastic knowledge of the history of Ethiopia. Read full review

Reviewed on 01 Dec 2015 by

I guess if I had to pick out three highlights they would be: the extraordinary beauty of the Simien Mountains and the chance to see the gelada baboons at such close quarters; the amazing rock-hewn churches of Lalibela; and the opportunity to see the way of life of the different tribes in the Omo valley. Read full review

Reviewed on 02 Nov 2015 by

It was a combination of history, culture and nature - a wonderful and interesting trip. Read full review

Reviewed on 07 Sep 2015 by

I loved the time I spent in Ethiopia. It was made even better by the fact that we were in the hands of such a competent and capable bunch of people. Everybody we came across, from guides to drivers to staff at the pre- arranged accommodations gave us a super service. Read full review

Reviewed on 25 Mar 2015 by

'Most memorable' is a hard call - I lost count of the number of times we said, 'Isn't that amazing!' Read full review

Reviewed on 17 Mar 2015 by

I observed 7 of the endemic wolves that I have been wanting to see for ages. The landscape is particularly beautiful and the birdlife tremendous. The local guides in each area were really good and went out of their way to help and explain. We felt they enabled us to meet local people which we like very much. Read full review

Reviewed on 27 Oct 2014 by

Almost every day in Ethiopia was a memorable day. The people of Ethiopia are fantastic, never once did we feel threatened or unsafe. We believe it was one of the best vacations we have experienced. Some of the most wonderful and welcoming people on the planet. Read full review

Reviewed on 13 May 2014 by

Every single day was memorable, and virtually every day was exciting...we returned home having had not just a wonderful and exciting vacation but also some understanding, and huge respect, for all things Ethiopian and especially its people. Read full review

Reviewed on 13 Nov 2014 by

Our guide was excellent. Very caring, very conscientious, very knowledgeable and always available. Read full review

Reviewed on 19 Jul 2014 by

Seeing the rock-hewn churches of Lalibela was the impetus for booking the journey and they certainly did not disappoint...The country is so unique in many ways. Read full review

Reviewed on 18 Mar 2014 by

The most memorable part of the vacation was going to a wedding in Gonder which would not have been possible without the local guide, the churches in Lalibela, trip to the Simian mountains, having coffee, local markets in the south. Read full review

Responsible Travel

As the pioneers of responsible tourism, we've screened this (and every) vacation so that you can travel knowing it will help support the places and people that you visit, and the planet. Read how below.

Planet and people

If you book this trip you will give many local people a chance to support themselves and their family dependants. Our guides are locals and well trained in all disciplines and the scouts are hired from the parks. You will also be staying in locally owned accommodations which have a direct impact on the communities their respective environment. They will get most of their material and man-power needs from the local markets and resources. The income they will earn as a result of your booking will support many grass-root economies. As we also purchase most of the necessities for the trip like food, water, coffee, soft papers etc. from locally owned shops and restaurants; they will be benefited.

Accommodations have put in place policies of environmental conservation, water and energy usage. They also have economic policies to employ their staff from the local communities and to use the local resources and markets for the services they provide.

For you to have better knowledge of the trip we will provide you an accurate pre-trip information before the start of the tour. And in order for you to have a good understanding of the places, the environment, and the local community we will supply you with our Travelers' Code of Conduct which is also supplied to our staff and local suppliers.

As part of environmental conservation efforts, almost all of our destination suppliers are actively involved in initiatives like '2 trees for 2000'. It is a campaign against Ethiopia's environmental hazard caused by deforestation and is mainly sponsored by the Millennium Secretariat. Also as an effort to reduce pollution, accommodations help protect the environment by giving away some materials like plastic bags to recycling agencies. After completing the cultural tour and if time allows, we will arrange a short trip to visit an initiative in Yabello-Borena which works on improving the livelihood of the pastoral and agro-pastoral communities.

Much of the country was devastated by both man-made and natural disasters. An increased demand for fuel has resulted in the practice of reckless tree felling. Also at Borena, large areas are inhabited by nomadic pastoralists who move over large expanses of land with large herds of livestock. Environmental degradation in this area has caused serious hardship to these pastoralist groups. You may wish to exchange ideas with the community on issues like the use of natural resources, spring development, land rehabilitation, and irrigation works which would be of great importance.

Popular similar vacations

Ethiopia holidays, tailor made

Ethiopia vacations, tailor made

From £3295 14 days excluding flights

Discover the natural beauty and culture of Ethiopia

Northern Ethiopia, tailor made vacation

Northern Ethiopia, tailor made vacation

From £5395 10 days excluding flights

A wealth of treasures and culture in Northern Ethiopia

Ethiopia vegan tour

Ethiopia vegan tour

From £2195 10 days excluding flights

Explore Ethiopia, a vegan nation, great vegan foods